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II. Election News This Week

The NAACP will join labor groups and others at a series of protests around the country on December 10. The protests, according to the organization, are mean to move the discussion of voter ID laws out of policy circles and onto street corners. According to the Post, the United Federation of Teachers, the health care workers’ union 1199SEIU, National Council of La Raza and the Asian-American Legal Defense Fund were among the groups represented at Tuesday’s news conference. George Gresham, the president of 1199SEIU, told the paper his organization would bus 10,000 of its members to participate in the Dec. 10 protests.

Although a court has ordered the release of ballots in Aspen for review by former candidate Marilyn Marks, the city council is still trying to determine how to deal Marks’ lawsuit. According to The Aspen Times, the city had previously said that it would appeal the state court ruling giving Marks the right to review the ballots. The city has yet to file its appeal, but the Nov. 14 deadline is fast approaching.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Secretary of State Dianna Duran has informed the state’s attorney general’s office about two noncitizens who have asked to have their names removed from the state’s voter rolls. According to Duran, one person incorrectly registered while going through the citizenship process and another claimed they were forced to register by a third-party organization.

Personnel News: After a dozen years on the job, Colorado Deputy Secretary of State Bill Hobbs, 64, announced his retirement. Hobbs was first appointed by Secretary of State Donetta Davidson and served five secretaries of state. Gov. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has removed Madison County Supervisor of Elections Jada Woods Williams from her position after she was arrested on voter fraud charges. In Sedgwick County, Kan. Deputy Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman will be moving on up to the top elections official position following the resignation of Commissioner Bill Gale. State Rep. Zack Hudgins (D-Tukwila) has announced that he will seek Washington’s top elections job. Two other candidates have previously announced their intentions to seek the job. No one is really sure how long Austin Hallinan, 92 has been working for the Blair County, Pa. elections office, but he’s seen the county go from paper ballots, to punch card ballot to electronic voting machines. Hallinan worked his last election last year at 91 and finally decided to call it quits this year.